//------------------------------//
// Confessions and A New Future 
// Story: Tartarus Forged Friendship 
// by Mystic Sunrise 
//------------------------------//

"Are you sure you will not stay longer, Twilight?" Cadance asked as the train whistle blew, announcing the imminent departure. 

Twilight nodded with a sigh. "I am sure, Cadance. I can't take this anymore. Either I confess to Penumbra. Or I will go insane. Pinkie Promise."

The two giggled at this, for even Cadance, for not knowing Pinkie for as long or as well as Twilight did, knew how seriously these kinds of promises were taken. Neither wanted to think of what might happen if one were to be broken.

Cadance pulled her sister-in-law close. "I understand the feeling, Twilight. Shiny can tell you how bad it is. He agonized for months before he confessed to me. But it will be worth it in the end. I know it will be."

Twilight's ears fell, an old fear reawakened. "And what if she says so? What if this destroys our friendship? I will not do that to her. Not again."

Cadance frowned. "Twilight. I can't speak for Penumbra. But I refuse to think that she would stop being your friend over something like this. Breakups destroying friendships is a lazy trope used by cheap romance authors. Most of whom probably are still single and still virgins."

Twilight giggle-snorted. "Right. I forgot that you hate most of those stories. What were the six things you used to say you absolutely hated more than anything else in Equestria?"

Cadance smirked. "Incest, fetishes of any kind, foalcon, sharing my husband with any other mare in the world, rape, and romance tropes. I know how other mares have looked at him. I do not blame them. I would too if Shiny had always been with someone else. But anypony who thinks I am going to share Shining with anyone is delusional."

Twilight rolled her eyes. She had heard it all before. Several times in fact. But that was all beside the point. "And if she says no? Then what? What about our bond?"

Cadance bit her lip. "I cannot say for sure, Twilight. Only she can tell you that. I still do not understand Soul Bonds all that well. Even when Diamanda has said she will help me to learn about them."

Twilight looked around at the crowd they were drawing, and for once, it was not all about her. The news had gone out the day before of Cadance's family connection to the Crystal Empire, and ponies seemed to still be digesting the news. "How is the empire taking the news?"

Cadance sighed as she looked around, knowing of what Twilight spoke of. "They are in shock, mostly. Not that I blame them. It will take time for it to settle in I feel. And I still do not know how I am going to explain this to aunt Celestia and aunt Luna. Did they know about this? Why did they not tell me if they did?"

Twilight's ears fell. This was a question that had been plaguing her as well. She shook her head as they pulled apart and she headed for the train. "Wish me luck, Cadance. I feel that I am going to need all that I can get."

Cadance giggled as the door closed behind the younger alicorn. "Do not worry, Twilight. I know that you can do it. Now go sweep Penumbra off of her hooves like I know you can."





As the train pulled beyond the Crystal Heart's shield, Twilight felt all of her strength and vitality skyrocket, earning a moan of delight in the process. She had forgotten what this felt like. It was good to be out in the wider world again.

But it was only a minor distraction from her bigger worries, as she watched the tundra pass by. "I wish I had your confidence, Cadance," Twilight sighed, unable to stop the gloomy thoughts in her mind. "So much can go wrong with this. And I just know it will."

"Love trouble?" A new voice asked, startling Twilight out of her funk as she looked up to see who had spoken to her. An earth pony mare with pumpkin coloring sat down across from her. For some reason, Twilight felt she should know who this was. "This seat is not taken is it?" The mare asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. Do I know you? You look familiar for some reason."

The mare giggled. "You might know my family from Canterlot. I used to go into the Canterlot Archives a lot. Name's Pumpkin Spice. We used to know each other."

Twilight's mouth dropped in shock, the name finally ringing a bell. "The heir to the Cushaw Family?! That Pumpkin Spice?"

Pumpkin giggled. "That's me. And the only earth pony ever born to a unicorn family. Yeah. That was a shock for mom and dad for sure."

Twilight could only nod in surprise. It had been a shock to all of Canterlot when the news had broken. Next to the Apple Family, the Cushaws was well known for making some of the best pumpkins in Equestria. How a predominantly unicorn family did so well in a field usually dominated by earth ponies was not known. But very few would argue that their skills in Life Magic were second to none.

Even Applejack, as stubborn and set in her beliefs as they came, always had good things to say about the family. 

Twilight shook her head, trying to get back on track. "So, what brings you to the Crystal Empire? Is it not a little cold?"

Pumpkin rolled her eyes. "There were rumors about a lost branch of the family living in the empire. But that turned out to be a load of horseapples. Nopony with our family name has ever lived in the empire. Not even a remote branch. But I did lay the groundwork to expand up here in the future. Father is getting up in years. It is time I start doing these things. One day, they will all be mine."

Twilight nodded. That made sense, as sad as it was.

Pumpkin, though, smirked. "Now, what about you, Twilight? I know you always blew me off when we were fillies, no matter what our parents tried. You look like you need a friend at the moment, though."

Twilight kicked herself, suddenly remembering all the times Pumpkin had genuinely tried to be friends with her. And every time, she had blown her off. No more, she swore with a sigh. "Maybe I do. And I am so sorry, Pumpkin. Your right. I did ignore you, and you were always so nice to me. It is time I tried to fix this."

Pumpkin smiled, before poking the alicorn. "So, spill, Twilight. What is on your mind? Trouble with love?"

Twilight nodded sheepishly. "Yes. Cadance says I need to be direct with her, or I will never get the mare of my dreams."

Pumpkin nodded, not surprised by this bit of news. "Well. I can't say I personally know the mare you're talking about. But even I can tell you have it bad for her. You should listen to Princess Cadance, though. Who else knows love better than she does?"

Twilight groaned. Why was everyone saying that? "It is not that simple," she grumbled as she pointed at her cutie mark. "We share a bond that nopony else has. If I do this, and she says no, then what does that to it? I will not do that to her."

Pumpkin looked at the mark. She had heard of what had happened before the wedding. Her father was a leading member of the House of Lords, so she also knew of what had been discussed during the hearings. "The Lady of Tartarus must be something else for you to do that with her."

Twilight briefly wondered how her friend knew that, but held her questions for now. "She is. Maybe I should have thought it through more before I did. But I did not know what else to do, and here I am."

Pumpkin giggled. "And here I thought you always thought things through, Twilight. Guess not. Personally, I say you should be direct about, and damn the consequences. Love does not need to make sense. Trust me." She tapped her chin. "How are you getting back to Tartarus anyway?"

Twilight rubbed her snout irritably. "I still remember how to get to the Gates. I will not risk teleporting inside. I am not sure if I even could do so. So, I will be walking. It is impossible to miss the Walls of Night."

Pumpkin rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you want to go alone? I could use the exercise, and I would be lying if I said I was not curious to see all of the sights."

Twilight chuckled. shaking her head. "Thank you, but no. This is something that I must do alone. I plan to get off in Canterlot and spend some time with my parents before I do though." She smiled widely. "And I could use a friend right now. I blew you off so much when we were younger. It's time I make up for that."

Pumpkin smiled as well, and soon the two were talking about anything and everything that came to mind.





Several days later, Twilight wondered why she had thought coming here by herself was a good idea, as she finally came out of the treeline. Maybe it had been her not paying attention with Cerberus on her heels, but nothing here felt right at all. The land had changed, as she looked up at the Walls of Night once more. Oh, it all still looked the same as before. But there was something... wrong in the air. Twilight could feel it, even as the ground beneath her shook once more. As if something far below raged against its confinement.

Twilight frowned as she walked forward. The earthquakes were coming faster and faster, the closer she came to the Gates. Something was wrong. Very wrong. But she had come too far to stop now, as she once more came to a cleft in the rock.

Several minutes later, she once more stood before the Gates of Tartarus. Even knowing what to expect, Twilight shivered to be close to this much Cold Iron. She looked up in worry as dust fell on her as another earth-shattering pounding echoed through the tunnel. Now there was no doubt. It was the sound of something trying to break free from confinement. Something large whatever it was.

With a clang, the doors opened, allowing Twilight to rush through before the whole tunnel collapsed on top of her. Would that not be a way to go, she thought sarcastically. Killed, not by some villain, but by rocks. It would just be her luck, she chuckled as the doors closed silently behind her. Fortunately, she had memorized the way to Penumbra's castle during her last visit, and so she wasted little time in following the road down towards the flatlands.

She had not gone more than a mile when a cold voice stopped her. "You do not belong here, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight watched as a deeper shadow detached itself from the shadows around her. A Lesser Shadow Demon if she remembered correctly, as she frowned. "I am here to see Penumbra."

The Shadow shook its head. "Our mistress has no time for you, today. She is busy. Go away."

Twilight's frown grew as she stepped right into its face. "Then she can come to tell me that herself. Not send one of her lackeys. I can find my way to the castle without any help if I have to."

The Shadow went to answer before a new voice answered instead. "I admire your spirit, Twilight. But this is not a good time."

Twilight watched as Penumbra herself detached from the darkness between two large boulders. The Shadow bowed and floated away, disappearing into the gloom. Twilight shook her head with a smile. "Okay. How do I learn to do that?"

Penumbra smiled as well. "I can teach you, but you have picked an inauspicious time to return. I am sure you can feel what is going on beneath us?"

Twilight nodded, as another tremor shook the area. "What exactly is going on? It feels like something is trying to break free of some kind of prison below us."

Penumbra nodded. "It is the sounds of something best left forgotten. An Elder God if you must give it a name. Far below even the deepest vaults of Tartarus lie the Catacombs. Confined and locked away in the deepest darkness are things that even I fear. Nameless things that were ancient when the world was young." She shook her head. "From time to time, one tries to break free. I must bend all of my powers to keeping it locked away at such times."

Twilight's ears fell. "Is that why I have not felt you since I left the Crystal Empire?"

Penumbra nodded. "Yes. Dia has told me all of what you did, however. I can never thank you enough for what you and your friends have done. Not just for the empire. But for my family as well."

Twilight blushed. At least she did not have to explain it all then as she turned around. "Then this can wait. You do not need me to distract you."

Penumbra stopped her with a wing and turned her around with a smile. "Twilight Sparkle. You came back all this way for a reason. I do not need our Soul Bond to know that. But I want to hear the words from your lips." Her smile softened. "Tell me what is in your heart. I can see it in your eyes."

Twilight's blush grew. Darn it. She had not planned nearly as well as she had thought, for now, the butterflies in her stomach had grown into dragons. But there was no turning back now as she stepped up and nuzzled the elder alicorn. "I love you, Penumbra. I always have, since we first met. Maybe this is stupid, and this will destroy everything we have, but I don't care. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Penumbra's ears fell. And there it was at last. "Twilight. You know what happened between Luna and me."

Twilight's ears fell. "I know. That's why I never said anything before now, or what it might do to our bond if you say no. I will not do that to you." She sniffed as her head fell. "Maybe this was all for nothing, and I am being stupid. Chasing something I can never have. But my feelings are real. I know they are."

Penumbra shook her head. "It would not change our Soul Bond. It would strengthen it in fact, to unheard-of levels."

Twilight smiled a little. That was a weight off of her shoulders at least. "But you don't love me as I do you. I can see it. This whole thing was stupid. I should have known better. Fairy tails never work out in real life. Why should I be any different?"

Penumbra's heart fell as she saw the heartbreak in Twilight's eyes. It was more than she could take as she shook her head. "No, Twilight. I do not know if I feel the same way about you that you do me." Her smile grew as she lifted the alicorn's head with a hoof. "But we can find out. Together. If you will have me?"

Twilight saw that she meant it, and it made her heart soar. Before she could stop herself, she locked lips with Penumbra in a deep kiss. A moment later, Penumbra returned it in full. They stood like that for several minutes, before Penumbra led the two of them back to her castle, her wings wrapped around the younger alicorn, who leaned into the embrace, even as their tails started to intertwine.

Neither paid it any mind. While the future was uncertain, they both knew that whatever might happen. They would face it together.